Fitness witness

BookPage® Column by Sukey Howard

Fitness fiends, fitness-phobes and the moderates in between know that getting exercised over exercise is a part of our 21st century culture that's here to stay. As we try to shape up our winterized bodies before putting them into skimpy swimsuits, it's especially interesting and helpful to find out what really works and what's fad and fiction. Gina Kolata, a well-known science writer for The New York Times and an avid exerciser herself, gives us the skinny on the science of conditioning in her new book, Ultimate Fitness: The Quest for Truth About Exercise and Health, read by Eliza Foss. Fun and full of fascinating stories of hypesters, hucksters and true gurus, it may also give you that extra push to do a bit more inspired by Ms. Kolata, I took a spinning class and now I'm happily hooked.